Electric-railway rail-bond.



No. 65l,263. Patented June 5, I900.

T; J. MGTIGHE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY BAIL BOND.

(Application filed Aug. 30. 1899. Renewed May 11, 1900.)

(No Model.)

mme'ss A TTOHNEVJ UNITED STATES PATENT Genie-n.

THOMAS J. MCTIGHE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY RAIL-BOND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,263, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed August 30, 1899. Renewed May 11, 1900. Serial No. 16,356. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. MOTIGHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway Rail-Bonds; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel form of electrical connector adapted to various uses, but more especially intended as a rail-bond for connecting the rails of an electric railway; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described, and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings which form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side View, partly sectional, of a rail-bond made in accordance with this invention. Fig.2 is an enlarged view of one-end of the bond, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end view of the bond. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing one of the terminals of the bond upset in the rail. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a side View and plan of a modified form of the same invention. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are three different modifications in plan, showing one end of the bond. Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively a plan view and vertical cross-section of a special form of the invention adapted for use between the splicebar and rail.

In carrying my invention into effect I prefer to cast an enlarged shouldered terminal around each end of the flexible body of the bond, so that each of the components of the body passes into the shoulder-and into the terminal-rivet axially and substantially to its end. I thus secure the best conductivity possible in such a bond by making all of the component parts of the flexible body end in the terminal, which in use extends through the railway-rail or other device to be connected, thus bringing the wires into the closest practicable proximity to the walls of the hole .in the rail and making the shortest possible In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 the rail-bond is shown as a straight flexible body A, with the @161]; ipg-studs B and shoulders Oaxially disposed around its ends, the studs B being preferably c a stupon said ends and compacted with them into a substantially-homogeneous mass. It will be seen that by having all the wires of the cable in the terminal-rivetthe function of the latter becomes mainly that of enlarging the surface of contact with the rail R, and the members of the flexible body all lie within the rail, thus greatly improving the total conductivity of the bond.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the flexible body A is first bent at about right angles a and the terminal is cast around it, so that the body A enters the shoulder C and passes substantially through the stud B axially.

In Fig. 7 the construction is similar; but

the body A is flattened beforehand.

In Fig. 8 the body is made up of three small flexible cables a a a.

In Fig. 9 the body is made up of a series of flat bars or wires cl, whose ends are bent up edgewise the same as the wire in the preceding figures.

In Figs. 10 and 11 the bodyis composed of two flattened cables 6 0, preferably curved along theirlength and having their ends bent up and brought toward each other, so as to stand within the circumference of the studs B, which with the shoulders C are then formed around and upon the upturned ends of the cables e 6, preferably by castingin a suitable mold.

In all these forms and modifications the same principle is embodiednamely, that the ends of the flexible bond-body extend directly into the studs of the terminals. By suitable compression the end of the bondbody and the embracing rivet-stud are then consolidated into a substantially-homogene- 5 the hole made in the rail to receive the stud, Hence when the rail-bond is applied to the rail and upset therein each of the individual members of the flexible portion of the cable becomes further upset within the studs.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A flexible rail-bond composed of solid shouldered terminals and a flexible body or cable whose ends pass axially into the riveting-studs of the terminals and are substantially homogeneous therewith.

2. A rail-bond composed of solid shouldered terminalsand a flexible connecting-body made up of several members having their ends passing axially into or through the riveting-studs of the terminals and rendered substantially homogeneous therewith by pressure.

3. A rail-bond consisting of a flexible body made in separate sections, and terminals having shoulders and riveting-studs, the bodysections entering the shoulders and passing substantially through the rivet-studs axially, the said studs and sections being compacted together into a substantially solid or homogeneous mass forming the terminals.

4:. A rail-bond consisting of a flexible body composed of a multiplicity of flexible conductors whose ends are bent laterally and bunched, and terminals formed with rivetstuds into which the said bent ends pass axially, the bunched ends and rivet-studs being compacted together into a substantially-homogeneous mass forming a solid terminal.

, 5. A flexible rail-bond consisting of strands or sections and terminals having rivet-studs in which the ends of the strands or sections are embedded, the portions of the strands forming the body being separated between the terminals into two or more sets, each composed of a multiplicity of strands orsections. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. MCTIGHE; Witnesses:

ANTHONY A. CONNOLLY, Joe. B. CoNNoLLY. 

